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I wrote to my MP about autism and immigration claims

Deleted User

Today I simply felt like adding here that I sent an email to my MP with a few scientific resources expressing what I think are correct and false claims about autism.

About immigration, I didn't add links, I got too tired, but may end up diving into the government's statistics eventually.

Spent about 1 hour crafting my email, and now feel like resting.

My summary with respect to increase in autism cases was:

  • There is a widening of criteria in the testing
  • Coalescence of related conditions (like Aspergers, and in some cases Down Syndrome) into autism
  • Wider availability of testing
  • Wider awareness

The links in increase due to medications taken during pregnancy or vaccinations during early years are pretty mild or flatly false, and if you know about specific studies I would appreciate them.

I did read the BBC fact-checking Trump, but the article felt pretty silly, so I skipped linking that.

The article I cited was Global prevalence of autism: A systematic review update (2022) but there are surely others. Their key point in my view, is:

  • Our findings reveal an increase in measured autism prevalence globally, reflecting the combined effects of multiple factors including the increase in community awareness and public health response globally, progress in case identification and definition, and an increase in community capacity. Hypotheses linking factors that increase the likelihood of developing autism with variations in prevalence will require research with large, representative samples and comparable autism diagnostic criteria and case-finding methods in diverse world regions over time.

I should've cited this NAS response, or this Gov statement linked by Bunny somewhere, but it's too late for me now.

I told him that stating his opinion, backing it up with scientific facts or expert opinions in parliament or media (maybe by Simon Baron-Cohen) would be useful, especially if he shows a slide or a graph, or at least tells a good story.

It may be worth to add more useful links, in case others find it useful if they write to their MPs. 

Parents

  • I suffered a complete mental breakdown in 2006. When I returned to work I was shunned because I has a "mental illness". I felt that I wold have been better received if I had come out as gay.  

    But that was only because Freddy Mercury died of AIDS. We could no longer say we hate gays because everyone loved him and his music. He changed the world.

    Then Ruby Wax came out on Woman's Hour and said she is a manic depressive. Suddenly people cold no longer hate people with mental illness because we all love Ruby Wax.  She changed the world.

    Autism is slowly being understood and accepted. It won't happen overnight. But I suspect that within a generation, it will no longer be seen as a disability. FWIW, I consider it is a feature.   

Reply

  • I suffered a complete mental breakdown in 2006. When I returned to work I was shunned because I has a "mental illness". I felt that I wold have been better received if I had come out as gay.  

    But that was only because Freddy Mercury died of AIDS. We could no longer say we hate gays because everyone loved him and his music. He changed the world.

    Then Ruby Wax came out on Woman's Hour and said she is a manic depressive. Suddenly people cold no longer hate people with mental illness because we all love Ruby Wax.  She changed the world.

    Autism is slowly being understood and accepted. It won't happen overnight. But I suspect that within a generation, it will no longer be seen as a disability. FWIW, I consider it is a feature.   

Children
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